Soil clean up device

ABSTRACT

My invention relates to means for manual use for easily and neatly picking up and disposing of obnoxious or unwanted material and includes a relatively stiff, approximately rectangular sheet which is partly inserted into and partly projects from a flexible sleeve secured to the sheet by heat sealing or comparable fastening. The sleeve is widened at its generally open end and is foldable over the sheet. The sheet may have a transverse slit in it to receive the user&#39;&#39;s thumb in order to make a better engagement with the sheet and to stiffen the sheet.

J 1 y W t r me tates atet 1 [111 3,5,67 Johnson Nov. 26, 1974 [54] SOIL CLEAN UP DEVICE 2,249,602 18/1323 llesli 15/236 R 3, 8 ,82 l 6 t [75] Inventor: Leonard Gregory Johnson, Novato, 3,672,837 Klgin Callf- 3,767,247 10/1973 Wetzler 294/1 R [73] Assignee: Safe-T-All Corporation, San Rafael,

C lif Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry [22] F'led: June 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lothrop & West [21] Appl. No.: 371,899

[57] ABSTRACT 52 C] 29 R 15/1043, 5 7 My invention relates to means for manual use for eas- 294/25 ily and neatly picking up and disposing of obnoxious s1 rm. Cl A47! 13/52 or unwanted material and includes a relatively Stiff, [58] Field of Search 294/1 R, 25, 55, 131; approximately rectangular sheet which is P y 2/16 7 2 15/1043, 5 221 227, 236 R serted into and partly projects from a flexible sleeve 224 B 2571, 25767 257], 2579; 119/1 secured to the sheet by heat sealing or comparable 20 7 2 9 5 R, 35 R, 5 fastening. The sleeve is widened at its generally open end and is foldable over the sheet. The sheet may have [56] References Cited a transverse slit in it to receive the users thumb in UNITED STATES PATENTS order to make a better engagement with the sheet and to stiffen the sheet. 830,0l6 9/1906 Sims 294/131 2,497,749 2/1950 Wagner 2/16 4 Claims, 3 i g e SOIL CLEAN UP DEVICE It is often desired to have ready an easy means for picking up unwanted soil from various locations and to disposed of the picked up material in a facile and clean fashion. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a simple, cheap and effective device for doing so.

Another object of the invention is to provide a soil clean up device that is generally in flat, sheet-like form that can be made available individually or in packets and that can be utilized individually with little or no difficulty.

Another object of the invention is to provide a soil clean up device that is extremely cheap to manufacture and distribute so that such a device can economically be used once and then disposed of.

A further object of the invention is to provide a soil clean up device that can be quickly and easily manufactured.

A further object of the invention is to provide a soil clean up device that is not only effective for its own purpose but is also effective to protect and shield the person doing the clean up work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a soil clean up device that is generally an improvement over devices heretofore known for the purpose.

Other objects of the invention together with the foregoing are attained in the embodiment of the invention described in the accompanying description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan of a soil clean up device constructed pursuant to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section, the plane of which is indicated by the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and v FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the soil clean up device as deployed for use.

While the soil clean up device of the invention can be embodied in a large number of different forms, it has with considerable success been embodied as disclosed herein. In this instance the device includes a sleeve 6. This is a tubular member having a central portion 7 bounded on its opposite extremities by an open end 8 and an open end 9. The sleeve is conveniently fabricated of any light plastic material, conveniently transparent, and is initially made of a strip of sheet which can be folded over upon itself and then provided with a seam 11, such as by stitching or by heat sealing. The sleeve is conveniently cut with a predetermined dimension at the opening 8 and with a considerably greater dimension at the opening 9 so that the intermediate portion 7 of the sleeve flares rather widely toward the opening 9. The sleeve material is quite soft and flexible and is conveniently of a readily disposable, inexpensive material.

Adjacent the leading open end 8 the sleeve encompasses or surrounds or overlies an intermediate portion of a relatively stiff sheet 12 formed of cardboard, for example, or a comparable plastic material which is somewhat flexible yet has sufficient stiffness to retain a predetermined shape. The sheet 12 is initially flat and is made of card stock or the like. The sheet is bounded -in a generally rectangular fashion or it can be tapered or otherwise contoured but at least is afforded a leading edge 13 extending transversely of the sheet and transversely of the length of the sleeve 6. The sheet 12 has side edges 14 and 16 that fit neatly into the opening 8 and continues to provide a trailing edge 17 usually parallel to the leading edge 13 and well disposed within the extended sleeve 6. Preferably, the sheet, in a portion within the sleeve, is provided with a cut or opening 18 of any suitable shape and of a size to receive the thumb of a user. In addition, the trailing edge 17 is interrupted to provide a hook-like entry 19 to an aperture 21 effec tive to engage a hanging device.

The sleeve 6 and the sheet 12 are preferably united by a row 22 of stitching or heat sealing which extends generally parallel to the leading edge 13 adjacent the midportion of the sheet. In effect, the two parts of the device are permanently joined together and each becomes in effect a continuation of the other.

In the customary case the clean up device, as shown in FIG. 1, is supplied as a unit in a packet of many such devices piled one upon the other and conveniently made available for prompt use. For use, one of the devices is removed from the pack and the user introduces his hand and forearm through the opening 9 and grasps the portion of the sheet 12 within the sleeve. Preferably, he inserts his thumb through the cut portion 18 either from above or from below, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In either instance his thumb distorts the material of the sheet giving it considerably greater stiffness or apparent thickness. Usually the sheet 12 is bowed upwardly or downwardly so that it is nearly straight along the leading edge 13 but is distorted to be somewhat stiffer than otherwise would be the case.

The user, having donned the clean up device on his hand and forearm, then utilizes the sheet as a scoop and lifts the obnoxious material and supports it on the sheet. The user then rolls the sleeve portion 7 upon itself. This is aided by the flared configuration of the sleeve so that it is easy to move the end 9 toward the end 8. The rolling of the sleeve upon itself is continued by the user until the sleeve surrounds and encompasses the sheet 12 and any material thereon. As particularly shown in FIG. 2, the sleeve when thus deflected or inverted and folded can then be tied'or twisted upon itself to serve as a temporary closure. The closure can be augmented by a wire tie'or the like. The user then can withdraw his thumb from its engagement with the card or sheet and the job is finished. The sleeve, therefore, acts initially as a protector and guard for the user and his garments and finally acts, when folded upon itself, as an envelope or enclosure for the card and for any material thereon.

What is claimed is:

l. A soil clean-up device comprising a flexible sleeve of a size to receive a human hand and forearm and having a central portion with opposite first and second ends at least said first end being open to receive said hand and forearm, a relatively stiff approximately rectangular sheet positioned to extend into said second end and having a leading edge outside said sleeve and having a trailing edge inside said second end of said sleeve, and means for securing said second end of said sleeve to said trailing edge of said sheet.

2. A device as in claim 1 in which said sleeve is elongated and said leading edge extends transversely thereof.

3. A device as in claim 1 in which said sleeve is flexible enough to be turned inside out to fold over said leading edge.

4, A device as in claim 1 in which said sheet includes means defining a thumb slit parallel-to said leading edge. 

1. A soil clean-up device comprising a flexible sleeve of a size to receive a human hand and forearm and having a central portion with opposite first and second ends at least said first end being open to receive said hand and forearm, a relatively stiff approximately rectangular sheet positioned to extend into said second end and having a leading edge outside said sleeve and having a trailing edge inside said second end of said sleeve, and means for securing said second end of said sleeve to said trailing edge of said sheet.
 2. A device as in claim 1 in which said sleeve is elongated and said leading edge extends transversely thereof.
 3. A device as in claim 1 in which said sleeve is flexible enough to be turned inside out to fold over said leading edge.
 4. A device as in claim 1 in which said sheet includes means defining a thumb slit parallel to said leading edge. 